New Delhi, 18 October, 2024: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif described India’s foreign minister’s recent visit to Pakistan as a “good beginning” that could pave the way for improved relations between the two nations, according to reports in Indian media on Friday. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was in Pakistan on Tuesday and Wednesday for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, held under tight security in Islamabad.
“This is how talks progress. Dialogue should not be halted,” Sharif, the president of the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) and brother of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, told visiting Indian journalists, as reported by The Indian Express.
Jaishankar, attending the SCO gathering alongside other leaders, marked the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly a decade, amidst long-standing tensions between the two countries. While Pakistani officials hinted at an “informal interaction” between Jaishankar and his counterpart Ishaq Dar, India denied any formal meeting. “We made it very clear that this visit was solely for the SCO head of government meeting,” Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal explained, adding that only pleasantries were exchanged.
Reflecting on the strained ties, Sharif was quoted by The Times of India, saying, “We have lost the last 75 years, and it’s crucial we don’t lose the next 75.”
